Package wrapping



Feb. 4, 1941. F. l.. EDDENs PACKAGE WRAPPING Filed oct. 2a', 193s ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 4, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE PACKAGE WRAPPING Frank L. Eddens, Birmingham, Ala. Application October 28, 1938, Serial No. 237,402

3 Claims. (Cl. 20G-41.1)

My invention relates to a novel package wrapper designed to permit the wrapping to be progressively torn away to expose the contents of the Package for ready removal as needed. y

kMy invention is applicable more particularly to food, .confection .and tobacco .packages in which, as the contents are used or consumed, it is desirable to gradually tear away or open up the wrapper and yet to leave it in such form that it will provide an adequate protection .at Iall times for the residue of the package contents. It is important, in any invention of lthis character, that it should be designed so that it will not interfere with the use of machine .packaging but will lend itself to such quantity production methods, and to -this end my invention, in its broadest aspect, contemplates providing for the package contents a wrapper which is formed from a blank sco-red orweakened lengthwise of, and preferably along parallel lines corresponding .to the longitudinal corners of the wrapped article or product, it being contemplated `that the scored wrapper shall be folded in the manner usual and customary with all unscored or unweakened wrappings for the corresponding articles.

In .the utilization of my wrapper, the package is opened in the customary manner at one end and Ithen the wrapper is torn away .along the longitudinal score lines to expose the product and at the same time to dene flaps which are left available for folding about the exposed end of the partly consumed product.

As applied .to products such as cheese, butter, bread and the like, one of the principal advantages of my invention is that the bottom section of .the wrapper remains in position .to furnish a sanitary apron upon which the food product rests while being `cut and handled as portions thereof are removed. Under such conditions the side and -top flaps are .drawn lback as they are torn away along the score lines .but the bottom is left undisturbed on the table or other support.

Another embodiment of import-ance applies to packaging loose goods such as smoking tobacco in which the tobacco itself is enclosed in a wrapper of paper foil or the like and inserted in a metal or cardboard can or jacket.

My invention, as applied lto this use, contemplates scoring or weakening the inside wrapper opposite the corners of the outer can or jacket and in use, as the .paper wrapper so .torn along these score lines, the resultant front and end flaps are folded over outward-ly so as to form suspension means for the partly consumed package that will present its diminishing contents always in lconvenient position, while the back -ap is left long enough t-o form a protecting cover which can be folded down over the open ktop of the package and held in .place by closing of the top down on it. v5

My invention is obviously susceptible of a variety of embodiments and applications which will be sufficiently illustrated by the showing on the accompanying drawing which forms a .part of this specifi-cation, .and in which Fig. 1 is a blank for a paper Wrapper for a package of smoking tobacco, and

Fig. 2 shows the -partly consumed package held suspended in the can by its torn flaps;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line III-III of Fig. 2, and showing the can 'top in closed position.

Similar reference numerals refer to simi-lar parts .throughout the drawing.

According to the embodiment of my invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3, I show convention-ally a metallic can 6, having a hinged top 'I with a marginal lip or ange 8, adapted to receive a paper package lled wi-th smoking toabccoV or like contents, not shown. The tobacco is customarily wrapped in a waxed paper, foil or Cellophane wrapping, and in accordance with my invention I have shown such a wrapper Ablank 9, which may be of any desired material and which is shown formed with four parallel score lines I0, II, I2 30 and I3, which are disposed so that they will re spec-tively fall opposite the corners of .the can when the complete tobacco package is. assembled. It is to be understood that the tobacco will be packaged by machinery in the customary manner .and that the finished .paper or foil package with its ends folded in will be slipped into the can or outside jacket in which the package will be marketed. When the .customer breaks and opens the original package, he will open up the top folds of the wrapper in the usual manner and then, by ypressing outwardly on the panels lying between the score lines 4I0, II and I2, I3, end flaps I4 are torn out and folded down over the ends of .the can, as seen in Fig. 2. This leaves front and .back aps I5 and I6, the former being folded down yover the front of the can and the latter being left upstanding. When the top cover is closed it furnishes a cutting edge against which the exposed por-tion of .the flap I5 can be torn away and if desired also the exposed portion of the end flaps I4 may be torn away. The dotted line in Fig. 1 shows the yoriginal length of the flap I5 and the full line shows its torn position,

which corresponds substantially :to the depth of the cover flange 8. I thus form a hanger lip on the front and at each end by means of which the tobacco package is suspended in the can, the cover gripping these suspension flap elements to hold .the package securely in suspension and at the same .time (they for-m a very eiective air tight seal for the cover which presses the back flap I6 -down over the tobacco to further protect it, thus eiectively retaining its moisture, which is a desideratum.

As the contents of the package is consumed, it is from time to time lifted higher in the can, the end flaps I4 are progressively torn out by pressure outwardly between the score lines andv the tearing away of the aps proceeds until the contents of the package is consumed! thepackage at all times being adequately vprotected and rmly suspended in the can or jacket. When 'the package is opened for use, the end, back and front flaps are all in convenient position to lbe engaged by the ngers when shaking 'the tobacco out of the can, thus enabling the user to grip and hold the package against falling outwardly from, or becoming displaced in, the can or jacket.

The paper or other substance used for the package wrapper is tough enough to stand the frictional engagement of the top flange in opening and closing against the flaps the feW times that it will be opened or closedfor any given position of the package in the can.

While my invention, as applied to loose bulk articles, has been described in connection with tobacco, it will be obvious that it has a variety of applications, and if it is of particular interest to seal the packaged product against moisture, the back flap I6 can be left long enough so as to fold outwardly and be torn -off even with the edge of the front'top flangeso that the latter will hold the back ap in sealed position over the contents in the package.

While I have shown my invention in but one form, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various other changes and modifications, without departing from the spirit thereof, and I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereupon as are imposed by the prior art or as are specically set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A package for loose bulk articles of consumption, comprising an external rigid jacket having an openable anged cover and a loose container shaped yto fit Within the jacket and formed with score lines parallel with and adjacent to -the jacket corners to subdivide the container vertically into panels adapted to be torn apart and their freed upper ends folded outwardly over the top-of the ends and front side of vthe jacket to provide a plurality of loose suspension elements adapted, when crimpedto p0- sition` by closing the top, to present the container in conveniently accessible position `for its contents to be removed.

2. A packageffor loose bulk articles according to claim 1, in which the jacket is of the flat type with outwardly curved ends and the curved'end panels of the container are 'adapted'to have their conformation reversed when folded down over the jacket ends thereby'to providea more secure support for the container.

3. A 4package for loose bulk articles according to claim 1, in which the panel on the backside F35 is adapted to have its free upper end foldedover forwardly to form an inner protective cover for the container contents.

FRANK L. EDDENS. 

